Development and Alumni Relations

Development and Alumni Relations

The Penn State Schuylkill Alumni Society, the Schuylkill Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association, and the Penn State Wilkes-Barre Alumni Society will sponsor a tour of wineries at Seneca Lake, New York on June 20.

A new Student Enrichment Center at Penn State Harrisburg that will house space for key student services, new and existing, will become a reality if final plans and funds are authorized, as recommended by the Board of Trustees Committee on Finance, Business and Capital Planning today (March 19). The full board will vote on the recommended approval on Friday (March 20).

On March 11, 2015, Penn State’s Dickinson Law opened its doors for a committee hearing to gather testimony from local entrepreneurs, educators, and business representatives on the readiness of Pennsylvania’s graduates to fill in-demand and available job openings. Rep. Stephen Bloom (R-Cumberland), 1987 alumnus, led the hearing as deputy chair of the House Majority Policy Committee.

Penn State's class of 2015 invites members of the University community to participate in a competition to design the Solar Panel Array, the 2015 class gift chosen last fall in a vote by seniors. Teams must include at least one senior graduating in the 2015 year and not exceed more than 5 individuals. The competition will accept proposals until March 31.

Nominations for Penn State Today's new feature -- "We Are!" -- have been rolling in. This week, we recognize four Penn Staters who go above and beyond what's asked of them in their work at the University. Do you know someone who deserves a shout-out? Consider nominating them for a "We Are!"

Ballot positions for the 2015 election of trustees by alumni will be determined March 2 by a drawing, a procedure established by Penn State's Board of Trustees. Ballots for the trustee election will be available to Penn State alumni on April 10.

Penn State Schuylkill is pleased to announce that they have received $5,000 from Weis Markets, through the company’s participation in the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) Program, in support of their Summer Scholars youth program.

We asked for nominees and you responded. Penn State Today is kicking off its new feature -- "We Are!" -- with shout-outs to four Penn Staters who were nominated by colleagues for going the extra mile. "We Are!" is a way for students, staff and faculty to publicly recognize the people they work with for what they do to make the University a better place.

The Penn State Smeal College of Business Alumni Society Board has announced its 2015 Alumni Society Board award winners. Six alumni and two students will be recognized on March 20 at the 2015 Awards Program and Hammond Society Recognition Dinner.

As Penn State moves forward from the success of For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students, concluded in June, the University has assembled a core group of fundraising volunteers to help guide the next era in Penn State philanthropy. The Executive Committee of the Penn State Advisory Council on Philanthropy will assist University leadership in enhancing Penn State’s fundraising programs and continuing to secure private support.

As a student in Penn State's School of Hospitality Management, Gary Budge gained the organizational skills, sense of pragmatism and professional potential he would need to succeed in New York City's highly competitive hospitality industry. He also gained an early sense of the importance of philanthropy.

Penn State's 38th annual Renaissance Fund dinner has raised more than $326,000 to endow scholarships in honor of local business leader and philanthropist Dan Hawbaker, this year's Renaissance Fund Honoree.

The transformational gift of Penn State alumnus James Simpson will lift up generations of talented and hardworking undergraduate and graduate students in the College of the Liberal Arts. When fully funded, his gift of nearly $5 million for scholarships will support more than 40 students each year with awards of $5,000 each. “Jim was a dedicated supporter of the college for many years, and we were very sad to lose him over a year ago,” said Susan Welch, the Susan Welch Dean of the College of the Liberal Arts. “However, his generosity will continue to elevate the lives of our students for decades to come. The college has students at all levels of financial need, particularly in the middle, the ones who typically would fall through the cracks. Jim’s scholarship will provide crucial support as they complete their degrees.”